Cateys 2024: Best Use of Technology Award: Gather & Gather

Any workplace caterer will tell you that serving lunch to hundreds of busy workers in their precious lunch hour is no easy task. Customer flow is so important to avoid extensive queues during the lunchtime rush and prevent
customers from becoming frustrated. 

 

But what if cutting-edge technology could alleviate many of the pain points? That’s a question Gather & Gather asked itself before deploying an artificial intelligence (AI) solution that fundamentally redefined the traditional notion of the checkout process at a number of its workplace catering sites.

 

Working with hospitality solutions provider Lolly, Gather & Gather rolled out the self-service platform, powered by computer vision technology, which recognises and processes food items on customers’ plates, eliminating the need for manual canning or cashier intervention. In simple terms, a customer places their tray under the camera, scans their access pass or payment card and walks away.

 

While the end experience for the customer is simple, seamless and effective, in the background the Snapserve system is working hard to match the items on the tray to the product database and charge the customer accordingly, emailing a receipt with a copy of the scan and an itemised breakdown of the charges.

 

A trailblazer will always catch the attention of Cateys judges, who praised Gather & Gather for its “brave and bold decision” in implementing a solution that showcases “the advancement and progress that our industry has bravely embarked on”.

 

As with the introduction of any new technology, encouraging widespread adoption is critical, but thanks to the solution’s seamless and intuitive self-service experience, customer behaviour was easy to shift from traditionally manned tills. This enabled Gather & Gather front of house staff to better serve customers on the restaurant floor, elevating resources from a merely transactional customer interaction to a front of house concierge service.

 

The stats speak for themselves, with the caterer noting an 84% reduction in transaction time, down to eight seconds, compared to nearly a whole minute when guests pay at a manned till. This also led to a surge in
weekly transactions of 30%, while 15 hours of labour per week were redistributed away from the manned tills. 

 

This solution clearly offers tangible operational efficiencies while transforming customer experience, but the AI-driven analytics of the system have enabled Gather & Gather to optimise menu offerings and predict consumer trends with unprecedented accuracy, allowing the contract caterer to maximise profitability and minimise waste.

 

A positive impact on teams, the bottom line, the environment, and the end-client – a clear winner in the Best Use of Technology Award. 

 

What the judges said

 

“This is the next evolution in enhancing customer experience, reducing queueing and improving operator efficiency while delivering tangible benefits.” Harry Ridley

 

“Not only was it a brave and bold decision, it has clearly defined the goal and the benefits. While still at early stages, it has a lot of potential to impact customer experiences, cost controls and wider improvements in overall efficiencies.” Liutauras Vaitkevicius

 

The shortlist

 

Gather & Gather

 

Individual Restaurants

 

The Swan Hotel & Spa Ulverston

 

The judges

 

Charles Boyd 8 Northumberland

 

Stephen Minall Moving Food

 

Jane Pendlebury HOSPA

 

Harry Ridley Built by Levy

 

Darren Sweetland Mollie’s Motel & Diner

 

Liutauras Vaitkevicius Zetter Hotels